Adams, Anne Brown (1843-1926)to Alexander M. Ross

Summary of Content: Discusses her sister, Ruth Brown Thompson and Ruth’s husband Henry Thompson. Both have failing health. Argues that Kansas should give Henry a pension, since he fought under John Brown at the Battle of Black Jack to help keep Kansas a free state. Gives some details about the Brown family’s time in Kansas, and emphasizes that her father began planning the Harpers Ferry raid before going to Kansas.

Full Transcript: [excerpt], [4]…Father went to Kansas to help make that a free state and with the expectation of there finding men who would be suitable for his ”Harpers’ Ferry raid,” Henry Thompson, Salmon and Oliver Brown went with him intending to say for the ”round trip.” All the rest of father’s sons went to Kansas to settle and make homes for themselves. Owen [inserted: too] was pledged to go with father to Harpers’ Ferry when he got ready to start. , Henry and Salmon were both wounded and sick with ague. And they with Oliver returned. Another child was born to Ruth and Henry before father was ready so it was decided that he had better stay home with his family as they depended on his labor for [text loss: support] [5] Two of Henry’s brothers went in his place. , Father’s had all this planned [inserted: months] before any member of his family ever set a foot on Kansas soil, and moved his family from Akron Ohio, to North Elba for that purpose, sending Salmon on with Oliver and Frederic, and leaving Oliver in Ill, where they had taken some cattle to Sell, to wait for him. , As this was all planned and carried out - as I have stated, It is proof positive that revenge was not his his [sic] motive for going to Harper’s Ferry...